Firestorm Fan Rotating Header Image

Firestorm Magnet with Art by Ed Benes

Nov 8th, 2010
by Shag.
No comments yet

Check out this Firestorm magnet from Ata-boy!

Firestorm magnet from ata-boy.com

I first saw it advertised online back in July and assumed it was unauthorized by DC.  Fast forward to last week at my local comic shop where I came face-to-face with the real deal.  The art is by Ed Benes and the Firestorm logo is from volume I of his own series.

Turns out it shipped as part of a seven-pack of Brightest Day magnets and is fully-licensed by DC.  Click here to view all seven magnets from the Brightest Day set.  For a rundown on the Martian Manhunter magnet, click here to visit THE IDOL-HEAD OF DIABOLU, a Martian Manhunter blog.  Personally, I found it humorous that the Brightest Day magnet set features several of these heroes in their classic costume, rather than their current one.  That’s just my warped sense of humor.

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Brightest Day.
Tagged: · · · ·

Gerry Conway & Al Milgrom Firestorm Trade Paperback in 2011?

Nov 4th, 2010
by Shag.
4 comments

There is a listing currently on Amazon.com for a trade paperback entitled, Firestorm: The Nuclear Man by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom.  It’s supposedly scheduled to ship on July 26, 2011.  If this listing is legit, this will be the first time the early adventures of Firestorm have been collected!

Firestorm The Nuclear Man #1

There isn’t a lot of information, but the listing suggests the volume will be 144 pages, which translates to six issues. I suppose that could represent the five published issues from Firestorm vol. I, plus the sixth unpublished issue. They’ve assigned an ISBN number, which seems to add some credibility to the entry.

The last issue of Brightest Day should ship sometime in May or June. If DC chooses to launch a new Firestorm ongoing series, June or July would be the ideal time. Releasing a collection of the first series to coincide with a new ongoing would seem logical.

My thanks to Steve K. for finding this information and alerting folks via Twitter.  You can also find Steve at his blog, The Iceberg Lounge.

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Al Milgrom, Comic books, Firestorm #01: Original (Ronnie/Martin), Firestorm comic vol. I, Gerry Conway.
Tagged: · · · · · ·

Shadow Thief’s Trial for the Murder of Firestorm

Nov 3rd, 2010
by Shag.
6 comments

Firestorm (the Ronnie Raymond solo version) was murdered by the Shadow Thief during the Identity Crisis mini-series in 2004.  Shadow Thief was apprehended by the JLA & Manhunter and then put on trial for the murder of Firestorm.  That trial is featured in the trade paperback Manhunter: Trial by Fire.

Manhunter: Trial by Fire trade paperback

I heard from numerous sources that Manhunter was a fantastic and underrated series.  I’d never gotten around to reading it… at least until now.  My good friend Erika from Girls-Gone-Geek was kind enough to loan me this trade paperback.  I was apprehensive about whether I would like it and put off reading the collection.  After finally cracking the cover, I devoured this 224 page tome in no time!  I simply couldn’t put it down!  Obviously the Firestorm element of the trade captured my interest, but I was also fascinated by the Manhunter legacy plot.  I’m a huge fan of the Ostrander/Yale Manhunter series from the 1980s.

The majority of the book deals with the legacy of the hero name “Manhunter”.  The Shadow Thief’s trial is definitely important to the collection, but it’s not the main plot.  Below you’ll find a few relevant pages to Firestorm:

Superman takes the stand

Superman testifies at the Shadow Thief trial for the murder of Firestorm

A little later Felicity Smoake-Raymond took the stand.

Felicity Smoake-Raymond testifies in the murder trial of Firestorm

Ed Raymond testifies in the murder trial of Firestorm

Ed Raymond testifies in the murder trial of Firestorm

Wow.  Powerful stuff.  It’s interesting to note that Felicity, Ronnie’s step-mother, revealed Firestorm’s secret identity to the world.  Now that Ronnie is back from the grave, should we assume this was either retconned away or fixed with magic?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Even though Firestorm’s trial isn’t the main crux of the trade, it’s still worth reading. It’s a well-written and compelling superhero comic.  The lead character, Kate Spencer, is somewhat like Daredevil except she uses high-tech gadgets instead of super-senses to battle crime.  You should be able to order Manhunter: Trial by Fire from your local comic book shop.  The story is written by Marc Andreyko and drawn by Javier Pina, Jesus Saiz, Brad Walker, and Diego Olmos.  Its 224 pages of superhero action for only $17.99.  That’s a great deal!  If you haven’t read this series already, I highly recommend it.  I can’t wait to read the next trade in the series!

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Comic books, Firestorm #05: Ron solo, Ronnie Raymond.
Tagged: · · · · · · · · · ·

Multiplex’s Daughter is Batman Beyond’s Catwoman

Nov 2nd, 2010
by Shag.
1 comment

In Batman Beyond #5 released last month, it was revealed that the future Catwoman is the daughter of Danton Black (a.k.a. the Firestorm villain known as Multiplex).  Below is a page from Batman Beyond #4 in which she demonstrated her duplicating ability.  While her father could create a limitless number of replicants, she is apparently limited to nine.

Batman Beyond's Catwoman and Hush

The page below from Batman Beyond #5 is where Catwoman Beyond’s lineage is revealed.

Batman Beyond's Catwoman is Multilpex's daughter - Also with Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis

The Batman Beyond mini-series is written by Adam Beechen and drawn by Ryan Benjamin & John Stanisci.  Given Multiplex’s relative obscurity, it’s really cool to see him tied into the Batman Beyond mythos.  So now we’re left wondering who is the mother?  And is the real Danton Black her father, or was it a duplicate?

Support Firestorm!

Posted in: Comic books.
Tagged: · · · · · · · · ·

Firestorm in Justice League Unlimited

Oct 28th, 2010
by Shag.
3 comments

While Firestorm never appeared on the Justice League Unlimited animated series, there were apparently plans for him.  Dwayne McDuffie, writer for Firestorm vol III and Justice League Unlimited writer/producer, said the producers had permission from DC Comics to use Firestorm, but the show’s creators could not come up with a story using him that they liked.  Supposedly the creators planned to use the Ronnie Raymond/Professor Martin Stein version of Firestorm.  He was to have been the lead character for the episode “The Greatest Story Never Told”, but was replaced by Booster Gold. What a bummer!  It would have been great to see Firestorm on JLU!

We’ve seen a few different interpretations of what Firestorm would have looked like in JLU form.  Today I present three different options.

Below is a drawing by Steve Jones, an illustrator on the Justice League animated series.  This sketch was commissioned by fellow Firestorm fan Avery Barnes at the Emerald City Comicon a few years back. Because Firestorm never made it on the show, Avery wanted an illustration of what match-head would have looked like if he had appeared.

Firestorm in Justice League Unlimited by Steve Jones

Firestorm appeared in a few issues of the Justice League Unlimited comic book drawn by Carlo Barberi.  Below you’ll find a couple images taken from Justice League Unlimited #3.

Firestorm in Justice League Unlimited comic books

Below you’ll find a shot of Ice and Firestorm shrinking.

Firestorm in Justice League Unlimited comic books

Finally, below is the Justice League Unlimited Firestorm action figure released earlier this year.

Firestorm in Justice League Unlimited - Action Figure

There you have it, three different versions of the JLU Firestorm.  Which do you like best?  Be sure to share in the comments!

Special thanks to Avery Barnes for sending me the scan of Steve Jones sketch!

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Cartoons, Comic books, Firestorm #01: Original (Ronnie/Martin), Toys.
Tagged: · · · · · · · · · · ·

Brightest Day HeroClix Available Today!

Oct 27th, 2010
by Shag.
2 comments

The DC Brightest Day HeroClix Action Pack should be available in stores today! According to the advertising, the set includes seven highly-detailed HeroClix 3D figures ripped directly from the pages of the Brightest Day comic, plus an all-new, double-sided HeroClix map.  The suggested retail price for this seven-figure set is $24.99.

DC Brightest Day HeroClix Action Pack

WizKids released some detailed photos of the new Firestorm HeroClix.  It looks great!  Click any of the images below for an enlarged view.

DC Brightest Day Firestorm HeroClix

DC Brightest Day Firestorm HeroClix

DC Brightest Day Firestorm HeroClix

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Brightest Day, Firestorm #08: Brightest Day (Ronnie/Jason), Toys.
Tagged: · · ·

Firestork in Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew

Oct 26th, 2010
by Shag.
1 comment

And now, something from the WTF department… Firestork of the Just’a Lotta Animals!

Firestork of the Just'a Lotta Animals from Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew

I didn’t realize there was a Firestorm analog in the Just’a Lotta Animals from Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! Just’a Lotta Animals was an anthropomorphic funny animal parody of the Justice League of America that existed in the Pre-Crisis universe of Earth-C-Minus. Having never really read much Captain Carrot, this just passed me right by.  This is so wild and fun!  I’m definitely going to check out the old Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew comics!

Below is a listing of Firestork’s teammates and a few images:

  • Super-Squirrel: a squirrel; analog of Superman.
  • Batmouse: a mouse; analog of Batman.
  • Wonder Wabbit: a rabbit; analog of Wonder Woman.
  • Green Lambkin: a male lamb; analog of the Silver Age Green Lantern.
  • The Crash: a turtle; analog of the Silver Age Flash.
  • Aquaduck: a duck; analog of Aquaman.
  • Green Sparrow: a sparrow; analog of Green Arrow.
  • Stacked Canary: a canary; analog of Black Canary.
  • Hawkmoose: a moose; analog of the Silver Age Hawkman.
  • The Martian Anteater: an anteater from Mars; analog of the Martian Manhunter.
  • The Item: an elephant; analog of the Silver Age Atom.
  • Elong-Gator: an alligator; analog of the Elongated Man.
  • Zap-Panda: a panda; analog of Zatanna.
  • The Rat Tornado: a rat; analog of the Silver Age Red Tornado

Below is a shot of the entire team on what appears to be their version of the JLA satellite.   Elong-gator roasting marshmallows on Firestork’s head is classic!  Also, I like that Firestork’s hair includes Kirby Dots!  Hooray for Kirby Dots!  This is the only Firestork image I can find online.  I haven’t read the issue yet, but it’s quite possible the panel below was his only appearance.

Just'a Lotta Animals from Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew

Below is another shot of the core Just’a Lotta Animals characters.

Just'a Lotta Animals from Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew

Below is the cover to Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #14 (April 1983).  This issue contains the only Firestork appearance that I know of.

Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #14

Support Firestork! Fan the feathers!

Posted in: Comic books, Justice League of America.
Tagged: · · · · · · ·

Firestorm Wallpaper

Oct 25th, 2010
by Shag.
No comments yet

Our buddy liquidcross has put together the most amazing Firestorm wallpaper!  It’s features art by Al Milgrom, Rafael Kayanan, and Matt Haley!  It’s formatted for wide-screen monitors (1920×1080), so you may have to adjust your screen resolution to make it fit properly.  Click the image below for the full-size version.

Firestorm Wallpaper by liquidcross

Isn’t that friggin’ amazing!  I love it!  In fact, I previously had a picture of my children as my wallpaper.  Sorry kids, you got bumped by the Nuclear Man!

Be sure to visit liquidcross’ blogs at The Indigo Tribe (Green Lantern Reviews and Commentary) and Text and Violence.

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Al Milgrom, Firestorm #01: Original (Ronnie/Martin), Rafael Kayanan.
Tagged: · · · · ·

Firestorm Cosplay at Dragon*Con 2010

Oct 22nd, 2010
by Shag.
4 comments

Check out this excellent Firestorm cosplayer at Dragon*Con 2010 sporting the new costume from Brightest Day!

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

This year was my tenth appearance at Dragon*Con in Atlanta. I’ve never seen anyone dressed as Firestorm in all my years attending.  Allen from the Superhero Costuming Forum dressed as the Nuclear Man back in 2008 at Dragon*Con, but I missed it.  While I didn’t see Allen as Firestorm with my own eyes, I was able to find a few snapshots on the internet.  Allen and I started corresponding afterward and have bumped into one another the past couple years.  He was kind enough to give me a heads-up in advance about this year’s Firestorm cosplayer!

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com dressed as the real-life Nuclear Man this year!  Brad is also a member of the Superhero Costuming Forum and has designed several other cosplayers outfits.  Brad did an outstanding job on this particular costume with a real attention to detail.  I took several shots of Brad as Firestorm.  Here are a few…

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

Below you’ll find Brad as Firestorm in a Justice League of America group shot.

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

Below is my favorite group shot from Dragon*Con!  It was the DC Comics cosplay photo shoot.  It featured most of the DC Comics cosplayers at the convention, along with the legendary George Perez himself in the middle!  Notice all the characters exploding outward from George.  Brad as Firestorm is about four rows above George.  This photo shoot was coordinated by the folks over at the Superhero Costuming Forum.  Allen, the same guy that dressed as Firestorm back in 2008, was the director for most of these large cosplay shoots.  Let me tell you,  Allen does an amazing job on these shoots.  If you ever get a chance to attend one, watch how he manages the crowd.  He’s assertive, yet incredibly nice.  I learned a lot about managing people just from watching him.  Click the image below to enlarge.

DC Comics Photo Shoot at Dragon*Con 2010 with George Perez

To view all my pictures of Brad as Firestorm, click here to visit my Flickr gallery.

PHOTOSHOPPING THE NUCLEAR MAN

I was feeling fancy and tried my hand at a little Photoshop on Brad’s picture.  I wasn’t terribly pleased with the result, but it was a fun exercise.  See below.

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

With my lame attempt above for comparison, check out the amazing Photoshops Brad sent me.  Impressive!

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

Brad West of OutrageousOutfits.com as Firestorm at Dragon*Con 2010

OTHER DC COMICS DRAGON*CON COSPLAY WRITE-UPS

As you probably already know, a few of us DC character-specific bloggers work together from time-to-time.  Well, several bloggers ran pictures of Dragon*Con cosplayers and I thought you might enjoy their write-ups:

The Aquaman Shrine
Aquaman Family Cosplay @ DragonCon 2010

Comics Make Me Happy!
Dragon*Con 2010 With Booster Gold and Blue Beetle!

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman & the Wonder Girls Cosplay
Black Lantern Wonder Woman Cosplay
Dragon*Con 2010 Donna Troy Cosplay
Dragon*Con 2010 Circe as Wonder Woman Cosplayer

Doom Patrol: My Greatest Adventure
Beast Boy at Dragon Con!

Being Carter Hall (Hawkman Blog)
Hawkgirl Cosplayer At DragonCon 2010

The Idol-Head of Diabolu (Martian Manhunter blog)
Dragon*Con 2010 Martian Manhunter Cosplayer
Dragon*Con 2010 Black Lantern Martian Manhunter Cosplayer
Dragon*Con 2010 Miss Martian & One Year Later Martian Manhunter Cosplay
Dragon*Con 2010 Best of Martian Manhunter Cosplay

Justice League Detroit
Black Lantern Aquaman & Wonder Woman Cosplay
Dragon*Con 2010 Zatanna Cosplay
2010 Zatanna Cosplay (Blue & White) by DJ Spider

I am the Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger at the 2010 DragonCon

Once Upon a Geek
Need Halloween Costume Ideas? Look a these from DragonCon!

Power of the Atom
Indigo Tribe Atom Cosplayer
Dragon*Con 2010 The Atom (Ray Palmer) Cosplayer
Dragon*Con 2010 Peacemaker Cosplayer

Speed Force (Flash Blog)
Flash & Rogues Costumes at Dragon*Con 2010 – Part 1
Flash Costumes at Dragon*Con 2010 – Part 2

DC Bloodlines
Dragon*Con 2010 Cyborg Cosplayer
HeroesCon, Wondercon & Dragon*Con 2010 Huntress Cosplay

For a recap of my Dragon*Con 2010 adventures, please visit my other blog ONCE UPON A GEEK.

Once again, great job Brad on your Firestorm costume!  Be sure to check out Brad’s company, OutrageousOutfits.com! He offers a wide variety of cosplayer outfits!

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Posted in: Brightest Day, Cosplay, Firestorm #08: Brightest Day (Ronnie/Jason), Justice League of America.
Tagged: · · · · · · ·

Firestorm Video – Ronnie’s Past

Oct 21st, 2010
by Shag.
No comments yet

Check out this outstanding and emotional Firestorm video created by our friend Brandon DP (Bdog).

The video is really well put together and features the song “Time Won’t Let Me Go” by The Bravery.  Bdog included some of the greatest classic Firestorm drawings by folks like Al Milgrom, Pat Broderick, Rafael Kayanan, and more!  The imagery starts with the events in Ronnie Raymond’s life over the past year or so.  Around the 35 second mark we see images of Deathstorm absorbing Professor Stein from Brightest Day #11.  At that moment the song delivers the line, “Whenever I look back on the best days of my life”. At that point, the imagery shifts as Ronnie reminisces on his time as a hero with his friend, Professor Martin Stein.  As the video moves along, the imagery transitions from happy & up-beat to more desperate & dire.  Really helps convey Ronnie’s sense of anxiety in possibly losing the Professor.  Great job, Bdog!

If you can’t view the embedded video above, please click here.

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Posted in: Al Milgrom, Firestorm #01: Original (Ronnie/Martin), Firestorm comic vol. I, Firestorm comic vol. II, Pat Broderick, Professor Martin Stein, Rafael Kayanan, Ronnie Raymond.
Tagged: · · · · · ·

← Earlier Posts
Newer Posts →